John William King put to death for 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr.

Family of James Byrd, Jr., (from left) sisters Louvon Harris and Clara Taylor and niece Tiffany Taylor make a statement outside of the Huntsville Unit following the execution of John William King Wednesday night. King was the second man executed for the racial-hatred murder of Byrd in 1998. Lawrence Brewer was executed in 2011. Shawn Berry is serving a life sentence. Photo taken Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise

Family of James Byrd, Jr., (from left) sisters Louvon Harris and Clara Taylor and niece Tiffany Taylor make a statement outside of the Huntsville Unit following the execution of John William King Wednesday

Family of James Byrd, Jr., (from left) sisters Louvon Harris and Clara Taylor and niece Tiffany Taylor make a statement outside of the Huntsville Unit following the execution of John William King Wednesday night. King was the second man executed for the racial-hatred murder of Byrd in 1998. Lawrence Brewer was executed in 2011. Shawn Berry is serving a life sentence. Photo taken Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise

Family of James Byrd, Jr., (from left) sisters Louvon Harris and Clara Taylor and niece Tiffany Taylor make a statement outside of the Huntsville Unit following the execution of John William King Wednesday

HUNTSVILLE — John William King kept his eyes closed in the final moments of his life Wednesday night. The only word he uttered was “No,” when asked by Warden Bill Lewis if wanted to make a final statement before being put to death for one of the nation’s most horrific hate crimes.

King, 44, did not look toward the group of witnesses, which included a niece and two sisters of his victim, James Byrd Jr. The first lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered at 6:56 p.m. and he was pronounced dead 12 minutes later.

It was a quiet end for an act that Byrd’s family had been awaiting for 21 years.

“Today we witnessed the peaceful and dignified execution of John King for the savage, brutal and inhumane murder of James on June 7, 1998 — really a modern-day lynching,” Clara Taylor said as she stood with her daughter and sister outside the imposing red-brick Huntsville Unit prison, known colloquially as “the Walls.”

“King showed no remorse then as well as tonight,” Taylor said. “His execution tonight was just punishment for his actions.”

The condemned man was already covered by a sheet and strapped to a gurney, restraints near his wrists and around his waist, when the witnesses were ushered in. His right arm was visible from elbow to wrist, heavily tattooed.

King, who has no living parents, had no personal visitors in attendance.

Witnessing on behalf of Byrd’s family were two of his sisters, Taylor and Louvon Harris, and niece Tiffany Taylor.

Clara Taylor sat in a chair near the glass in the death chamber’s small witness room, with Tiffany Taylor standing behind her. Harris stood to their left. Tiffany Taylor occasionally shook her head slowly.

Outside the prison was Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles, who was the sheriff in Jasper County at the time of the slaying.

He said he used to look forward to this day since King, Lawrence Russell Brewer and Shawn Allen Berry were convicted of capital murder. But now he can’t help but have mixed emotions about the situation. He said he didn’t attend the execution of Brewer, but he felt he needed to be here to witness King’s date with justice.

“I’ve seen people die, and I’ve had the hollowness in my stomach when you see the life leave someone,” Rowles said. “I kind of have that same sentiment right now.”

At one end of the street that runs in front of the prison, about 75 anti-death penalty protesters gathered to call for abolition.

On the other end of the street, a group about a third that size, applauded the punishment and said it should have been carried out much sooner.

“We waited 21 years for justice to be served,” said Shemeekeiaa Smith of Huntsville. She was 23 when Byrd was killed and remembers the details of how his body was dragged for miles along a country road in Jasper before the headless torso was left by the wayside.

Though he declined to make a final statement, he gave a written one to prison officials to be read after his death.

“Capital punishment: them without the capital get the punishment,” it said.

King was the first of three men convicted of capital murder for chaining 49-year-old Byrd to the back of a pickup and dragging him three miles to his death in 1998.

Brewer was executed in 2011. Berry is serving a life sentence and will be eligible for parole consideration in 2038.

Wednesday’s 6 p.m. scheduled start time was delayed slightly awaiting word from the U.S. Supreme Court on a request for a stay, which his lawyers filed Tuesday afternoon after the Texas Appeals Court voted 5-4 in favor of his death.

King was taken from his holding cell at 6:41 p.m. and strapped to the gurney one minute later. Solution began to flow into his right arm at 6:44 p.m., and into his left arm at 6:48 p.m. The lethal dose began at 6:56 p.m. and was completed six minutes later.

King took four audible breaths before his death, but otherwise remained still. A doctor put a stethoscope to his chest and abdomen areas before he was declared dead.

Noting that James Byrd would have been 70 this year, Byrd’s sister spoke stoically of his body being “slung from side to side like a sack of potatoes” until his death by decapitation.

“He was deprived of so many priceless memories, such as watching his three children grow up and become productive citizens. He has four grandchildren and his oldest granddaughter will soon graduate from college.”

But he leaves a legacy of peace and nonviolence, she said, remarking on the state and federal legislation created after his brutal death, set to impose stricter penalties on crimes committed on the basis of race, religion, age, gender, disability, national origin or sexual orientation.

“The outcry of support and rage from around the world indicated that James’ death did make a difference, not just to us, his family, but to others of various races,” Taylor said.

The three members of Byrd’s family who witnessed King’s execution also were present for Brewer’s in 2011.

King’s last three days were filled predominantly with reading or laying on his bunk, according to a log provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His holding cell was approximately 10 feet from the death chamber.

On the day of his death, he cleaned, read, showered, and visited with friends. King had a number of visitors on his approved visitation list and several had come in the days prior to his execution, said TDCJ spokesman Jeremy Desel.

About four hours before his death, King was “fairly talkative” and in a “fairly typical mood,” Desel said.

Meanwhile in Jasper, about 50 people gathered at James Byrd Jr. Memorial Park to sing hymns and pray for healing.

The crowd included another Byrd sister, Betty Boatner. Privately, she said her faith helps her.